The Denver City Council on Tuesday delayed its final vote on a proposal that would prohibit city agencies from enforcing the camping ban and shutting down homeless encampments when temperatures are forecasted to be 32 degrees or below.
The matter is now set for a second and final reading vote on Jan. 29. The legislation — informally referred to as the freezing sweeps bill — was subject to a lengthy debate last week, and it’s split the council’s progressive and more moderate members.
Council president Jamie Torres, one of the four co-sponsors, said the motivation for the postponement was to provide all council members with time to weigh the pertinent information surrounding the issue.
The bill had passed its initial vote 9-4 on Jan. 9, but some members who voted yes indicated they had more questions, meaning the final vote could be tighter.
Department heads within Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration have raised concerns about the proposal, including that it would prevent officials from addressing public health concerns in encampments, such as rodent infestations, during the cold weather months.
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